Beyond Your Ken
by BlackRose108
Summary: Songfic based on "Sixteen going on Seventeen". Toph has a boy problem, and to her surprise Aang steps in to help. Taang friendship, Kataang and Toko mentioned.


**This is my first songfic so I'm hoping it's a success. This was inspired by the song "Sixteen going on seventeen" in the musical "The sound of music" (one of the best movies ever….seriously). And I decided to make it about Toph and her seemingly obvious interests in older men (i.e.: Sokka and Zuko). Plus, I happen to be a big fan of both Tokka and Toko so I found this rather fun. I did have to skip a verse, just becasue it didn't fit anywhere. **

Beyond Your Ken

_You wait little girl _

_On an empty stage_

_For fate to turn the light on_

_You life little girl _

_is an empty page _

_that men will want to write on. _

Toph knew she was way over the line when she started liking Zuko. First it was Sokka and now him, but she couldn't help herself.

She supposed she had a weakness to guys like them. Guys who were taller, strong, made her laugh. She _was_ a girl after all, and a pretty standard girl at that who was trying very hard to hide her raging hormones but was failing miserably.

Katara was onto her, she knew. It was blindingly obvious from the smirks she could always sense Katara was giving her, and the way her head always turned whenever she talked to either Sokka or Zuko. But Toph was pretty sure she had no chance with Sokka, ever since he had come back from the Boiling Rock with Suki in tow he had exercised all his focus on her and her alone. Soon enough the few snatches moments alone that they had without Suki were floating away quickly.

"Toph," Aang came up towards the lone blind girl who was sitting in the dun grass of the felid they were camping in.

"Hmm?" she hummed, seemingly in her own thoughts. "What's up Twinkle Toes?" Aang's face dropped a bit, as always, whenever she called him "Twinkle Toes".

"You're just all by yourself that's all…so I thought I'd keep you company." He tried to sound as casual as possible, but Toph's corked brow wasn't buying it.

"Katara left or something?" She reasoned, knowing for a fact that whenever Aang was lonely he sought the company of the water bender.

"Actually she went somewhere with Zuko, he knows the man who killed her mother so she went after him." Aang's head sagged, even as he explained.

"That sounds a little dark for Katara, doesn't it?" She smirked, regardless of Aang's obviously sad facial features.

"So…whatcha doing out here?" He changed the subject, typical air bender tactic, and rubbed the back of his head.

"Thinking." Toph trailed.

"About?" Aang was trying to probe her into a conversation, noticing that talking to Katara was much easier in that aspect.

"Just…you know stuff."

"Zuko stuff?" He probed even further, though he may not have been as able to sense people's emotions as well as Toph could he could still see the evidence of the Fire Prince written all over her face.

_You are sixteen going on seventeen_

_Baby it's time to think_

_Be aware_

_ B__e canny _

_Be careful_

_Baby you're on the brink_

"Drat, is it that obvious?" She yelled, pounding her fists into the grass without realizing what she had just said. "I mean...no…I mean…oh forget it."

"You know its okay to feel that way about boys Toph, it's perfectly normal." Aang told her softly, a hint of worry casting over the smug look in his eyes.

"And since when did you become a girl expert, last time I check stuff with you and sweetness wasn't the greatest." Aang blushed ferociously and touched his lips, remembering what the cause of all his confusion with Katara was.

"Well….you see..it's…wait a second how did you know about-"

"Sokka submarine idea was great but the metal on that thingwas thin, very thin….very." Aang's blush grew and Toph just laughed. "Oh, Twinkle Toes, I can really get you peach can't I?"

"And you've done your share fair of blushing too Toph," Aang fired back. "But I'm not the subject of romantic affections here…that would be you." He touched his index finger to her nose and laughed.

"Alright what do you want from me…a tearing confession of how I've always loved Zuko, huh? Well, you're not getting one..because it's just an innocent little crush that's all."

"Oh, so is that why you were practically burning when I told you Katara and Zuko were off somewhere?" Aang smiled when she turned pink, a cute, crush involved pink that told him right away just who beyond Toph's void of thinking romantic involvement was.

_Totally unprepared you are_

_To face a world of men_

_Timid and shy and scared you are_

_Of things beyond your ken_

"It's just…she's older. Zuko's probably all for her anyway." Toph said sadly, in fact it was the saddest Aang had ever heard her.

"News flash, Zuko had a girlfriend back home, he told me." Aang patted her back gingerly, and Toph stiffened at the motion.

"I'm not Katara, Aang, you don't have to…touch me." She shoved away from him, wrapping her arms around herself instead.

"But if it were Zuko…"

"Shut up Aang! Geez. So I like Zuko! So what! Why do I feel so embarrassed by this!" She clamped her hands over her head and groaned out in spite of herself. And Aang was fighting the urge to comfort her, she seemed so much like Katara at that moment, when Aang would comfort her in her times of need.

"You tell me." He said quietly.

"We're four years apart…I'm a baby to him. Older people never go for younger people." The wind picked up at that moment, Toph's hair blowing and Aang could see the tears in her eyes.

_You need someone_

_older and wiser_

_telling you what to do_

_I am seventeen going on eighteen _

_I'll take care of you._

"You know, I think there needs to be a bit of an age difference in a relationship for them to really balance each other out." Aang said.

"Oh, please." Toph snorted, tears still rolling. "You're just saying that because your dream girl is two years older."

"Maybe, maybe not," he shrugged. "But if anything I think loving Katara has taught me the true meaning of a balanced relationship." Toph lifted her brow at him, then turned to face him completely. Taking that as a silent cue, Aang continued. "I mean, me an Katara are very similar in the fact that we've suffered and gone through similar situations, but then we're very different. Like, I'm the younger, more childish and playful one while Katara's the steady, mature, and older one. She keeps me down to earth and mature, but sat the same time I let her know that it's okay to still be a kid sometimes, you know." He looked over, smiling at a wide eyed Toph and laughed.

_I am sixteen going on seventeen_

_I know that I'm naïve_

_Fellows I meet may tell me I'm sweet_

_An willingly I'll believe_

"Wow, all of that, huh?" She joked, and Aang laughed Again.

"Yeah, and you an Zuko are the same. Sure you have different personalities and need different balances, but it's the same concept."

"So what are you saying?"

He smiled.

"Be yourself and someone, if not Zuko, will come. Be them older or younger." Now it was Toph's turn to laugh and she punched Aang in the arm.

"I never thought all of that would come out of you Twinkle Toes, where did it come from?"

"Loving Katara," he sighed. "Spirits, I love her."

_I am sixteen_ _going on seventeen _

_Innocent as a rose_

_Bachelor dandies _

_Drinkers of brandy_

_What do I know of those?_

"I sense a self moment coming on, so I'll just go." Toph said hastily. She knew after Aang sat and listened to her issues the least she could do was listen to his rant but she just wasn't in the mood. When Aang got started about Katara he could go on forever.

Aang just nodded and leaned back, staring at the sky and sighing again.

"Oh, and Aang?" Toph said before going back to camp.

"Hmm?" he hummed, mimicking Toph's hum when the conversation first started.

"Thank you."

_Totally unprepared am I_

_To face a world of men_

_Timid and shy and scared am I_

_Of things beyond my ken_

_I need someone _

_Older and wiser_

_Telling me what to do_

_You are seventeen going on eighteen_

_I'll depend on you. _

**This one turned out pretty much like I expected, and I like, so….okay. We all love Toph right? Plus I though since it's always Katara confronting Toph about these things it would be cool to have Aang step in since they were both kind of loveless in this part of the show. **


End file.
